- Antonios Nikopolidis
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Antonios Nikopolidis 
Nikopolidis playing for Olympiacos in 2008Personal information Full name Antonios Nikopolidis Date of birth 14 January 1971 Place of birth Arta, Greece Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in) Playing position Goalkeeper Youth career 1985-1986 Anagennisi Arta Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 1987–1989 Anagennisi Artas 49 (0) 1989–2004 Panathinaikos F.C. 189 (0) 2004–2011 Olympiacos 180 (0) National team 1999–2008 Greece 90 (0) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 April 2010.
† Appearances (Goals).Antonios Nikopolidis (Greek: Αντώνης Νικοπολίδης; born 14 January 1971 in Arta), is a former Greek football player, that played as goalkeeper. He's regarded as the best Greek goalkeeper of all time having been awarded the most caps in the national team and playing an integral part in the UEFA Euro 2004 triumph.
Contents
The first years and the move to Panathinaikos
Nikopolidis made his first steps at his local team of Anagennisi Artas, from which he was transferred to Panathinaikos in the summer of 1989, where he was a back-up for Józef Wandzik. He made his debut during the 1990–91 season in a match against his current club, Olympiacos. In 1995 he played five games as Panathinaikos won the championship and three as they retained it the following year. However, it wasn't until the 1997–98 season that he established himself as a regular goalkeeper at the age of 26. In the 2002 Champions league, he helped the club reach the quarter-finals but, in the 2003–04 season, he lost his place to Konstantinos Chalkias when his contract negotiations broke down.
Panathinaikos offered him €400K per year[1] which, although a pay-rise, he thought was not in line with his contributions to the team over the past 15 years nor with his current market value. As he did not immediately accept the offer the management became suspicious and decided to relegate him to the bench for the rest of the 2003–04 season. The Greek sports media and Panathinaikos fans at first took his side in the conflict and criticised president Vardinogiannis.[2]
Just before UEFA Euro 2004, rumours were circulating that Nikopolidis had been approached by arch-rivals Olympiacos. It was discovered later that he had signed an agreement just before the tournament begun earning him €600K per year for three years. After that, the fans' disappointment in him was displayed during the celebrations following the team's 2003–04 season double when Nikopolidis, while raising the trophy, was booed by the majority of the crowd.
From Panathinaikos to Olympiacos
Soon after being instrumental in UEFA Euro 2004 helping Greece to lift the trophy, Nikopolidis joined Olympiacos F.C. making an immediate impact for his once rival team. Keeping a clean sheet in the first derby against his former club in the process, he went on to win two Doubles in a row, making him the only Greek player to win three consecutive doubles with two different clubs.
At his new team, Nikopolidis also earned a reputation for making game-winning saves in the most important games. Displaying his penalty-saving abilities, Nikopolidis saved three penalty kicks against Roma, Real Madrid, and Rosenborg BK, making him undefeated from the penalty spot in UEFA Champions League football in the Olympiacos shirt. In the 2007–08 season, he also equaled the Greek league record for the most penalty kicks saved in one season, which included saves against PAOK and former club Panathinaikos. Nikopolidis announced his plans to retire at the end of the 2009–10 season.
However, he took back his decision to stop his career after Socrates Kokkalis's insistence. The veteran goalkeeper stated that he would delay his retirement for one more year, to retire as champion. He signed an extension on June 16 that will keep him at Olympiacos for the 2010–11 season.
He also took part in the international match "8th Match Against Poverty", in 14 December 2010, in G. Karaiskakis Stadium in Greece, as the UNDP team's goalkeeper.In January 2011, IFFHS released a list with the best goalkeepers of the first decade, and Nikopolidis was in.[3] He is also in the list with the best goalkeepers of the years 1987-2011.[4]
At 20 March 2011, Olympiacos won the championship, in a 6-0 win against city rivals AEK Athens F.C., in G. Karaiskakis Stadium.
He made his final appearance on 17 April 2011 in a home 6-0 victory against Larissa F.C. in G. Karaiskakis Stadium. As a final curtain call, he was replaced by Balazs Megyeri in the last minutes, so he could wave goodbye to the Olympiacos fans.[5]
As the Olympiacos Captain, he was the player to accept the championship trophy, after the match.
Greek national team
He made his debut for the Greece national football team on 18 August 1999 against El Salvador.
He played in the qualifying rounds of the 2002 FIFA World Cup and Euro 2004 where he excelled as Greece qualified for the finals. Nikopolidis was one of the cornerstones of the Greek win in Portugal, where he kept six clean sheets and did not let in a goal in the three knockout games as he claimed a winners' medal. He also earned a place in the All-Star Squad, and was voted goalkeeper of the Euro 2004 All Star team.
He became team captain after the retirement of Theodoros Zagorakis.
He has featured in a World XI game in 2002, a rare honour for a Greek player.
Nikopolidis is first among all goalkeepers in the history of the national team with the most caps (90 after his retirement).
On 15 June 2008, Nikopolidis announced his retirement from international football after Euro 2008, claiming that he had made this decision before the tournament started, and also stating that it is about time for a major change in the Greek national squad.[6]Trivia
Due to his grey hair, Nikopolidis bears a striking resemblance to Hollywood actor George Clooney and earned the nickname "George Clooney" from European media during the Euro 2004 competition.[7].
Career statistics
Final Statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total Season Club League Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Greece League Greek Football Cup League Cup Europe Total 1987–88 Anagennisi Arta Football League 2 16 0 1988–89 33 0 1989–90 Panathinaikos Super League 5 0 1990–91 0 0 1991–92 0 0 1992–93 0 0 1993–94 0 0 1994–95 5 0 1995–96 3 0 1996–97 7 0 1997–98 25 0 1998–99 19 0 1999-00 28 0 2000–01 25 0 2001–02 26 0 2002–03 28 0 2003–04 18 0 2004–05 Olympiacos Super League 29 0 6 0 10 0 45 0 2005–06 29 0 7 0 5 0 41 0 2006–07 28 0 2 0 6 0 36 0 2007–08 28 0 3 0 8 0 39 0 2008–09 28 0 7 2 6 0 41 2 2009–10 32 0 0 0 12 0 44 0 2010–11 6 0 3 0 3 0 12 0 Total Greece 414 0 Career total 414 0 Honours
- Greek Championship: 1990, 1991, 1995, 1996, 2004
- Greek Cup: 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 2004
- Greek Super Cup: 1993, 1994
- Greek Championship: 2005 , 2006 , 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011
- Greek Cup: 2005, 2006, 2008, 2009
- Greek Super Cup: 2007
- European Championship: 2004
Individual
- Greek Best Goalkeeper: 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009
- Greek Cup: Runners up 1998–99
- Greek Championship: Runners up 2009-10
- European Championship 2004: UEFA Team of the Tournament Member
References
Categories:- 1971 births
- Living people
- People from Arta, Greece
- Association football goalkeepers
- Greek footballers
- Olympiacos F.C. players
- Panathinaikos footballers
- UEFA Euro 2004 players
- 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- UEFA Euro 2008 players
- UEFA European Football Championship-winning players
- Greece international footballers
- Superleague Greece players
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